Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ

[Иван Ивковић]

Rejecting Christmas

In the days following Christmas, many people wait in long lines to exchange the gifts they received for Christmas. Many exchange their gifts merely because they wanted something different, rejecting the original gift. Just as Herod rejected the original gift of Christmas by killing 14,000 innocent children, many times WE reject Christmas by killing our neighbors with harsh words and thoughts. Has Christmas changed the way you live, or have you rejected Christmas?

 

[Иван Ивковић]

A King Born to be Buried

From the moment Jesus Christ was born, the world was preparing for His burial. Herod the King tried to kill the new born King, while the Magi came to worship Him. We have two options when we greet Christ; we can choose the path of Herod and reject God, or join the Magi and worship Him. When we choose the path of the Magi, we will join Him in death as the world will reject our way of life. There is no avoiding death. It was the entire reason for His birth. He was born to be buried.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

We are not Worthy of God’s Love

The first sermon of St John the Baptist, as he was preparing to baptize Jesus Christ, he commanded his followers, “Repent; For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When he spoke about Jesus directly he admitted he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. YET....many of us declare ourselves worthy of every blessing. However unless we admit that are not worthy, and that we must repent, we cannot truly welcome the appearing of Jesus Christ into our lives. Without repentance, there is no Kingdom of Heaven.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

More than one way to Be Transfigured!

 

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[Иван Ивковић]

We Have Seen the Light

During every Divine Liturgy we sing the words, “We have seen the Light,” but it is what we do AFTER the Divine Liturgy with the Light that really matters. Many who have received the Light of Christ, fail to make good use of the Light in their lives. Some even reject it. Just as with any gift we receive or plan we make, it requires more than just good intentions for us to be successful and for the Light of Christ to grow within our hearts. All good intentions aside, if we do not make good use of the Light that has been given to us at our Baptism, Jesus will take it away and give it to someone who desires for it to grow. What have you done with the Light you have received?

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Everyone is Welcomed by God

 

We live in world consumed by prejudice. Our children are sometimes treated as outsiders by other students in school. Our friends are sometimes viewed as strangers at work by their coworkers. Our family is sometimes feels unwelcomed in the very neighborhoods in which we have lived for years. Feeling unwelcomed can be a crippling reality that forces many families to remain isolated and separate from even the closest human being. Eventually, the constant feeling of being unwelcomed can fool us into believing that even God won’t welcome us in His Church. But still we come because in our heart we know that God can help us, if only He could see past our faults.

 

I imagine these were the exact emotions share by ten men who approached Jesus Christ to be healed. In the story of the Ten Lepers, we witness the effect of God’ never-ending love on the lives of ten outcasts of society. Ten men who we unwelcomed by their fellow town-folk came to God, begging for mercy, and they were each healed by Jesus Christ. Ten men who were courageous enough to “tune out” the words of others and approach God were given a new chance at life.

 

It didn’t matter that these ten men were shunned by other “more respectable” members of the city. It didn’t matter that these men were foreigners rather than local insiders. Each was healed by God. But we learn one additional and more important lesson from this story. It was the ONE man who returned to worship God that was “made well” and honored by Jesus. And he was a foreigner! Just goes to show you, EVERYONE is welcome by God.....but not everyone will take the time to worship Him and give Him thanks. Which one are you?

[Иван Ивковић]

Nobody is Turned Away by God

Do you sometimes feel that God won’t listen to your prayer? Do you sometimes feel that your sins are keeping you from coming to Church? Then this week’s episode of Be Transfigured! is for YOU! In the story of the Ten Lepers, Christ reveals that there is nobody who will be turned away from God.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Can You Hear God Calling?

 

The world is filled with distractions, from busy street sounds to hectic lifestyles, many of which can stop us from hearing God’s voice. The story of Zacchaeus teaches us the benefit of filtering through all the commotion in our life so we can focus on God. Until we can eliminate the clutter from our lives, we will continue to be lost, unable to hear God calling us to safety. The Orthodox Christian way of life offers us an opportunity to learn to filter through these distractions of wealth and comfort, and welcome God into our hearts.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

A Story of Two Visions

 

 

In the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, we hear the story of two visions. Each man had a vision, but only one man had the proper vision. Each man was in Church, but only one man had the vision to see God. Each man was a sinner, but only one man had the vision to see their own sins. One man could see the sins of others, but it was the other man who went away justified. It was the Publican who had the vision to see his own heart needed to be healed by God. It was the Publican who had the vision to beg God for mercy.

 

Life is about vision; not physical vision, but vision of the heart. The Pharisee, the righteous man who obeyed the law, used his vision; but he could only see the sins of others, even thanking God that he was not like all those other sinners. The Publican, a man of sin, also used his vision; but he was able to see his own sin. Two visions; one saved the sinner, while the other condemned the righteous.

 

You also have vision? Do you use your vision to see the sins of others, or do you use your vision to see your own sins? Do you use your vision to look into your heart and beg God for mercy, or do you use your vision to look into the lives of others, and thank God you’re not like “all those other” sinners? You also have two visions; one will save you, while the other will condemn you.

 

Which vision will you use?

 

http://www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org/2015/01/a-story-of-two-visions.html

[Иван Ивковић]

Thank God You’re Not like Those Sinners

Where ever you look, you are surrounded by sinners. You spend your days fasting and keeping all the “rules” of the Church, and every night you thank God that you’re not like those sinners you know it the world. Did you ever stop to think, YOU might be sinning? Did you ever consider the YOU were the one that needed to repent? As the Triodion period begins, and Orthodox Christians begin to prepare themselves for the coming of Great and Holy Lent, the Church reminds of the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. One went home justified, and I’ll give you a hint....it wasn’t the one who kept all the rules.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Don’t Confuse Permission with Approval

 

 

On the second Sunday of the Triodion, the Church calls our attention to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the beauty of repentance. In the story, just to remind you, the younger son felt that he deserved his inheritance early, before his father’s death. He approached his father and said, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” (Luke 15.12) The father gave the son permission to take his inheritance and journey “to a far country,” in which he wasted every last penny on sinful living. In the deepest depth of sin and despair, the son realizes his mistake and chooses to return to his father and beg for a job. The father not only welcomes him home, he, “had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15.20)

 

While the son was away, the father waited and watched for him to return. He had given his permission for the son to leave, but never approved of the life the son had chosen to live. That is the love of a father, who knowing certain choices are wrong and dangerous, still allows his son to walk away from him. All the while, the son, thinking he was free from his father’s control, lived according to his own choices. But the father, while not approving of the son’s choices, never gave up hope for the son’s return.

 

God give us the same permission to live according to our choices. He doesn’t always approve of those choices, but He allows them hoping that we will choose to return to Him, as the Prodigal Son returned. With the coming of Great Lent, we are given an opportunity to CHOOSE to return to God’s way of life, and be restored to our original glory. But before we can return, we must first realize that just because God allows us choices, doesn’t mean He approves of the choices we make.

[Иван Ивковић]

Absolute Freedom

 

Saint Paul reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6.12) In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we hear of a father who allows his youngest son to waste his inheritance on loose living with harlots until the son was completely broke and starving. While the son took advantage of his father’s generosity and wasted his life and fortune, the father never stopped loving his son and never stopped waiting for his return. It wasn’t until the son “came to himself” (Luke 15.17) and returned home in repentance, that the father was able to restore the son to his original glory. How many times do we take advantage of the freedom that God has given to us? How many times do we find ourselves living a life that God would not approve? Until we can return to Him in repentance, He cannot save us. Absolute freedom can be a dangerous thing.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Courting Jesus

 

Each year for 48 days every Orthodox Christian experiences Great Lent and Holy Week, but most do not know what it is, let alone how to make the most of it. For many Orthodox Christians, Great Lent and Holy Week is nothing more than several weeks of longer (and more) Church services and a special diet. In fact, for most Orthodox Christians, other than Divine Liturgy being longer on Sundays and the Priest constantly droning on and on about Great Lent in his sermons and the announcements after Church, we would hardly ever notice a difference between Great Lent and the rest of the year. But I am convinced that much of this would change if we had a better understanding of what Great Lent and Holy Week actually was all about, so I wanted to take a few moments to answer this very important question, “What is Great Lent and Holy Week”?

 

Historically, Great Lent and Holy Week developed in the early centuries of the Church for two main purposes; a few days to prepare for the celebration of Holy and Great Pascha with intense prayer and fasting, and 40 days to prepare for baptism with intense prayer, fasting, and learning. Eventually the two merged together to form a longer period of 48 days we now know as Great Lent and Holy Week. But almost everyone in the Church is already baptized, so why does the Church continue this practice of such a long period of intense fasting and prayer? What are WE preparing for?

 

The answer rests in the prayers of the services for this period. In the ancient Church, Christians believed that Christ would return immediately, so the few days before Pascha, is a period to prepare to welcome Him back, and therefore prepare for the final judgment and paradise. You will notice in the hymns especially during Holy Week, this idea of being vigilant waiting for the return of Christ is written throughout the services. So Great Lent and Holy Week is a period during which time we prepare ourselves to greet Christ and be forever in paradise with Him.

 

I might compare it to a courting relationship. We spend several weeks getting to know more about Jesus Christ by praying, fasting, and helping the poor (all things He commanded us to do in life), so that when He returns for us, we will be ready for our marriage to Him. We will know Him, and we will be comfortable in His presence. Can you imagine marrying a person you have never met? Even in past centuries when arranged marriages were common, a bride and groom would spend time courting, to learn about each other.

 

So this year, during our Great Lent and Holy Week experience, I invite you to spend time “courting Jesus” and getting to know more about Him. You can learn “everything there is to know” about Jesus in His Church – reading His Word, fasting, serving others, attending Church services – otherwise spending time with Him, lest we forget that He has promised to be present in the Church for us to encounter Him.

 

You may have already been baptized, but do you know everything there is to know about Jesus? Are you prepared to spend all eternity married to Him? Great Lent and Holy Week are for you to get to know Jesus; don’t waste another opportunity!

[Иван Ивковић]

Come into the Common Place of Our Heart

 

On the threshold of Great Lent, the Church calls us to the high calling of forgiveness, but many of us do not fully understand that forgiveness isn’t something we do to others; it is something we experience with others. When we invite others to share the common space of our heart, we share a divine experience following the example of Christ. We cannot fully experience Great Lent without first allowing others into our heart. It is this shared experience that draws us closer to God and each other. It is the common experience we call Orthodox Christianity.

 

 

The Gospel lesson for the final Sunday of the Triodion, known as Forgiveness Sunday, begins with the words, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6.14-15) With these words, the Church crosses the threshold of Great Lent urging us to experience the freedom that is forgiveness.

 

When we normally think of forgiveness, we think of an action that WE do for others. We normally think of forgiveness as a “one-way” street from one mind to another. But a “one-way” street leaves no chance for returning to our heart for the healing that is only possible with genuine forgiveness. It isn’t accidental that the Greek word which has been translated as forgiveness, “συγχωρώ” means, “to come in together into our heart,” and requires a relationship between two people. By necessity it is an experience made possible when two people agree to enter into a common place of the heart.

 

In the moment we decide to allow others to join us in our heart, is the moment that we truly live as Christ, Who welcomes us not only into His heart, but into His Divine eternal embrace. When God chose to forgive us, He invited us “to come in to His Being” and experience the most intimate reality of His love, because forgiveness isn’t an action. Forgiveness is an experience.

[Иван Ивковић]

Being True to the True Faith

 

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Church proclaims the truth of the Faith. The Church proclaims, “This is the Faith of the Orthodox! This is the Faith of the Apostles! This is the Faith which has established the universe!” What are you doing to be true to the Faith of the Church as revealed by Christ, received and protected by the Holy Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you living as Nathaniel and Philip who went and told their friends about Christ, or are you keeping the truth to yourself?